Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - locking in different towns...

i was wondering about this recently, in part because i want to visit chicago and philly sometime.

portland, while far from devoid of bike theft, is relatively low key. i know few people who use anything more than a simple mini-u, even on some rather nice bikes (vintage raleighs, vanillas, etc). i know few who hesitate to freelock their bikes. one messenger here occasionally runs into buildings without locking.

obviously, none of this would fly in nyc, for example. but i wonder about other cities and what each ones..i dunno, personality is.: boston, chicago, kansas city, san fran, etc. every city doesn't necessarily call for a ny chain and lock, does it?

alot of clunkers get snatched in philly... alot of cruisers and beaters... not to say it doesnt happen... but it seems more common for someone to steal something that makes you ask "why would anyone steal that?"

anyway... i lock up all the time with a solid u-lock and a heavy cable for the rear wheel on my road bike (quick release on both ends ofcourse) and for the kona i've been riding lately i lock the front and frame... so far so good (knock on wood)

but i dont keep my bike outside for more then a few hours at a time... and i always try to lock it on well lit, higher traffic streets
...
these are just the typical steps of precaution that were bestowed to me... but that seems to be the common philly methods
-pete

Kyoto hardly requires a lock at all. I don't know about all of Japan, but I get the impression that the only thing you really need to worry about there is people 'borrowing' your bike because they don't feel like walking, and a simple cable lock would suffice for that.

oh, yeah...i've heard locks aren't really necessary in japan.

SD can be a little sketch, depends on the area. but i'm a paranoid android and always rock a u-lock/cable combo.

yeah, sometimes i can't believe it when i see people lean their bike up against the side of building and run in for a few minutes. i guess they've never had a bike stolen before.

in Lubbock, TX, where i went to college and started riding, i locked my bike up with a simple cable and masterlock and never really thought twice about it, i would occasionally lock up one of the two wheels if i felt i was in a "shady" part of town.

here in Baltimore i have already chased a guy down stealing my bike in broad daylight with that setup (foolish yet lucky me). now i have a fat U-lock (not quite NYC stature) for the frame and rear wheel when i can fit it, and a beefier cable locking the wheels to the frame.

here in Boston I with my FG usually use a simple U lock, through the seat tube and rear wheel (calling jamtastic for pictures??)... With my road bike I use a cable since I have QR on both ends..


Edit: found those jamtastic pics here:http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=236702&page=5&highlight=jamtastic+belt

i want to ride to nyc... and then ride through nyc... but stories of bike theft up there have me saving money for a bigger u-lock rather than saving money for fun on the trip
-pete

Chicago is a great town and you'll love it. But it's an awfully big city with all kinds. If you don't lock it......sooner or later it's gone.

NY lock through my rear triangle in suburban Dallas. I've seen people lock with gun locks (kinda pisses me off) but shows how little theft there is

NY lock through my rear triangle in suburban Dallas. I've seen people lock with gun locks (kinda pisses me off) but shows how little theft there is

but also kinda gives thefts a "becareful if you **** with this ride" warning

Even in Tokyo, most bikes are freelocked with a tiny spring lock that sits on the rear brake bridge and goes through the rear wheel. It is literally 3-4mm thick, and a pair of wire cutters and about 3 minutes would have that off - or you could probably just bend it. The only thing you have to worry about is the cops picking your bike up. The shop wouldn't sell it to me without registering it to my name, I had to show them my gaijin card and address and everything. Not to mention the times the cops thought I stole that 50lb monster...

And I went from that to New York. I've occasionally left it unlocked while I'm inside a store, but I've always got an eye through the window on it. Front wheel off, mega krypto chain through both wheels and the signpost or whatever.

Oh, and almost none in Rochester unless you left it unlocked. The kampus kops cut through it once, and I caught the bastard loading it into his trunk.

yeah, sometimes i can't believe it when i see people lean their bike up against the side of building and run in for a few minutes. i guess they've never had a bike stolen before.

yeah, it amazes me every time i see his bike just leaned up against a wall...but he's an old hand, i guess he just knows where he can and can't do it...

Even in Tokyo, most bikes are freelocked with a tiny spring lock that sits on the rear brake bridge and goes through the rear wheel.
Man, that must be soooooooo nice. I doubt they even know how good they have it...In New York i've got two choices: I can wear my krypto NY fahgettaboutit chain around my waist, which is not actually big enough to hold it up so I have to choose between having a 4 pound u lock resting on my junk or bouncing on my hip as I pedal...oooor, put it in my bag and have it immediately sink to the bottom, giving me a backache after 45 mins of riding...The beater was fine with some chain from home depot and a $10 padlock, but its a piece of ****. Anyway, I'm thinking of investing in a mini U. The chain is such a pain in the ass it kind of defeats the purpose bc i'd rather just leave it at home and avoid getting off the bike...I'm terrified to leave the bike for more than 15 mins anyway so might as well...

i hate lock threads... the contents inevitably keeps me up tossing and turning all night... now i want to buy a mini u... and i have so much trouble with my full size u... aghhhh
-pete

I have a large chain and a U-Lock. I'd prefer to use the chain when I can, but when I ride with my bag it 's kind of a pain. I'm too scrawny to put it around my waist so it goes over the shoulder (along with a messenger bag makes it a pain to turn my head when watching for traffic). Otherwise I use the U-lock, usually my trips are short.

I lock my bike up wherever I go in SF. I use an oversized on-guard u-lock with a cable through the rear wheel (just because you don't have a QR on your rear wheel doesn't make it safe). My U-lock has more than it's share of saw/cable cutter marks on it. I got a new set of marks this week @ city hall. Fricken city hall!!! What's next church (I don't go... BUT IF I DID!)???

i have a krypto evo and i just lock through the frame and rear wheel. i have quick release on the front, though, and never lock that **** up. i live in chicago.

Like sfcrossrider, I live in San Francisco and use an OnGuard bulldog mini U lock. I never feel good about leaving the bike locked to a parking meter for more than 10 min. I have the bulldog model and its hardly enough security. I have got to get something a bit better.

Everybody whose krypto chain is too big for them needs to roll by the hardware store, buy an oversize keyring, put that through the link they want to lock through when it's around their waist, and get on with life. Toy carabiners work too.

^ Good call....thanks. Something as simple as that but I would have never thought of it.

I live in Pittsburgh and mostly just lock with a standard OnGuard U, and sometimes a cable for the rear wheel if I'm gonna be a few hours or whatever and I really think that's overkill. I'd say 95% of the bikes I see have ****ty little cables.

There was a rash of thefts around Pitt and CMU, and people were targetting the cables though.

I've seen a bike sit in one spot on my street, completely unlocked, leaned against a sign, for 2 days, so either it didn't get jacked, or it took that long to get jacked.

^ Good call....thanks. Something as simple as that but I would have never thought of it.

Seriously, me neither. Thanks for the tip.

Well, I didn't come up with it, just passing it along. Some say you should do it even if the dive weight does fit you, so the paramedics can get your lock off of you without the jaws of life if you get hit or something. I think I may switch to the carabiner so I can get the sucker off fast if I need to -- I have to ride through bad neighborhoods pretty often.

For Philly I would use a chain long enuff to multi-wrap, go through both
wheels and that can go through the seat rails too. They(?) will take ANYTHING ! A water bottle...anything not secured. When not usingthe chain, you can use it for defense against the cars that will purposely try to run you over on the off chance they might not want to get thier car damged too much doing so.

I've got an old NY U-Lock, the kind that is supposedly bic-able, but I haven't been able to pick it, so I use it around Hartford, New Haven, and Boston when I ride there. When I get down to NYC, I bring the fuhgeddaboudit chain. I'm always a little nervous about my front wheel, since it never gets locked, so I try to lock up with who I'm riding with, we can get each other's wheels that way.

i use my rain bike in nyc--an iro jamie roy. no skewers so i don't really worry 'bout da wheels and i only lock it up during the day for quick stops right outside wherever i am. at night i take it inside my chicks apt. so i only use a u-lock.

same here in beantown.

my nicer bikes rarely get locked up outside. or if they do, they are in sight constantly.

but i figger if'n one do get yoinked, i'll make a claim on my homeowner's insurance. anybody ever done that?:) :eek: :D :)

When I lock up in the Inner Harbor I use my NYC chain and lock. Around town I use a mini U-lock. The Harbor is the only place I have had problems locking up as well as the only place in town I had a bike stolen from. That was before the NYC chain though.

Man, that must be soooooooo nice. I doubt they even know how good they have it...In New York i've got two choices: I can wear my krypto NY fahgettaboutit chain around my waist, which is not actually big enough to hold it up so I have to choose between having a 4 pound u lock resting on my junk or bouncing on my hip as I pedal...oooor, put it in my bag and have it immediately sink to the bottom, giving me a backache after 45 mins of riding...The beater was fine with some chain from home depot and a $10 padlock, but its a piece of ****. Anyway, I'm thinking of investing in a mini U. The chain is such a pain in the ass it kind of defeats the purpose bc i'd rather just leave it at home and avoid getting off the bike...I'm terrified to leave the bike for more than 15 mins anyway so might as well...

I'll try and dig up a picture of the lock I had when I was there. Basically, it's a spring-loaded hoop, you rotate a lever until the hoop is through the wheel and it catches, then it's locked. There's a tiny key that slides into the top of the hoop, you move it to the right and it pops the spring and the lock opens.

My krypto chain came with a micro-U. Why wouldn't you just wrap it around and clip the U into a few links up instead of the very end of the chain? I guess the loose chain would flop around, though. Or go with this VVV


Well, I didn't come up with it, just passing it along. Some say you should do it even if the dive weight does fit you, so the paramedics can get your lock off of you without the jaws of life if you get hit or something. I think I may switch to the carabiner so I can get the sucker off fast if I need to -- I have to ride through bad neighborhoods pretty often.

That's actually not a bad idea, although my chain would slide right off me if pulled - and considering I tip the scales at 160 soaking wet, I doubt that the extra 5 pounds of chain would make a difference in the ability to lift me when I'm on the board. Probably best to make it easy for everyone involved, though.

I love that the bike theft in this city is so bad that they use it as the brand on chains.

I consider myself a pretty laid back person, but when it comes to locking my bike in Philly, I take every possible precaution. First, I always take my bike inside everywhere possible no matter how annoying it makes me look, so that clears up about 75% of the times I'm out. I pissed off my girlfriend awhile back because I didn't want to lock up while we ate a sit-down chinese dinner. I used the NY chain on our fronts and she u-locked through the back...I couldn't even hold a conversation because I was too worried about the bikes out front, then the store owner said I had a nice bike and we brought them inside no problem. I still have the bike, not her...and that's totally cool with me now that I think about it.

I'll try and dig up a picture of the lock I had when I was there. Basically, it's a spring-loaded hoop, you rotate a lever until the hoop is through the wheel and it catches, then it's locked. There's a tiny key that slides into the top of the hoop, you move it to the right and it pops the spring and the lock opens.

My krypto chain came with a micro-U. Why wouldn't you just wrap it around and clip the U into a few links up instead of the very end of the chain? I guess the loose chain would flop around, though. Or go with this VVV



That's actually not a bad idea, although my chain would slide right off me if pulled - and considering I tip the scales at 160 soaking wet, I doubt that the extra 5 pounds of chain would make a difference in the ability to lift me when I'm on the board. Probably best to make it easy for everyone involved, though.

I love that the bike theft in this city is so bad that they use it as the brand on chains.

The newer krypto chains have smaller links, the lock will only go through the last one. And no EMT in his right mind is going to try to slide a chain off of a potential back injury.

The newer krypto chains have smaller links, the lock will only go through the last one.

Interesting, mine must be old.



And no EMT in his right mind is going to try to slide a chain off of a potential back injury.

Aaaaand I'm an idiot. You're right. Carabiner it is.

i was pretty scared in bridgeport, ct and locked with a chain and a u-lock and a (drive)chain-to-saddle. but then i realized that all the bike theft in bridgeport was people stealing unlocked bikes and passing them around. so a small ulock thru' the rear triangle, with the front wheel on it, sufficed for me.

mostly in nyc i'll take the 30 seconds to take off my front wheel (qr) to lock it w/ the rear wheel and frame. sometimes i use the not-huge krypto chain, and sometimes i just use an older krypto mini u lock which is nice because if it were any smaller it would be useless, but i can get my front and rear wheels thru' the triangle to a signpost or any thin fencepost. fills the lock entirely and i feel confident. but i don't lock all day.

Well, I didn't come up with it, just passing it along. Some say you should do it even if the dive weight does fit you, so the paramedics can get your lock off of you without the jaws of life if you get hit or something. I think I may switch to the carabiner so I can get the sucker off fast if I need to -- I have to ride through bad neighborhoods pretty often.

The thing about easy removal was actually the first thing I thought of when you said that about the caribiner. My old lock would close around my waist and hang without actually having to close the padlock, which was nice. If I gotta carry this big heavy chain around everywhere, nice to know I can actually get it off and use it now on the off-chance its necessary. Anyway, my back thanks you kindly for passing this along.

And no EMT in his right mind is going to try to slide a chain off of a potential back injury.
Right about sliding the chain off, but wrong about removing it before boarding. I bet they will do whatever they can to remove the chain from the patient. It is extremely uncomfortable to be on a backboard for the amount of time that most patients will be strapped to it. In addition, there was a recent lawsuit of a patient suing for unnecessary pain/suffering because of the amount of time they had to spend on a backboard while waiting to be seen. The paramedics were named in the suit. Imagine laying on a board for several hours with a NYC chain in your back. In addition if they didn't remove the chain, they have not been able to properly immobilize the spine. Another ground for lawsuit.

before I went to nyc in september everyone told me to bring a heavy lock+padlock to couple with my portland style single mini-u.

when I got there I discovered that everyone I was hanging out with only used one lock (in most cases, the same one I use) when locking for short periods.

obviously if you have to leave your bike locked somewhere for a greater period of time, then extra locking is smart, but yeah. it's not THAT big of a deal. there are tons idiots cable-locking their bikes for the theifs to get more easily.

How do you guys feel about the size of your Fahgeddaboudit and 3000 kryptonite u-locks? I realize the Fahgeddaboudit is stronger, but it's also smaller. How often is that a problem for you? Is it really worth the decreased space and (minimally) increased cost?

I currently have a krypto chain, but would like something a little more convenient for longer rides.

Without EVER thinking twice, I always use a u-lock through the frame for things like running in for coffee and will be close with the bike in sight. If I go somewhere such as the grocery store where I wont (< probably not a word, technically) be able to keep an eye on it, I use a heavy cable through the rear and u-lock through the frame. The thing is, if i'm ridin' it wont be locked up for very long, and never lock it to anything other than a metal post or something along those lines.

I try to lock up with who I'm riding with, we can get each other's wheels that way.

If by myself, i do usually opt for locking the rear wheel, cuz typically they're more expensive.

i live in san diego. . . i used to keep a ny3000 at school when i commuted, then at work after i graduated. now, i carry an onguard mini for quick stops, and add a cable for my front wheel for longer stops. my ex-gf has had a bike stolen and i've even had a FORK stolen off a bmx cruiser before. and tweakers love to steal lights, so i ALWAYS remove them. . .

i always wore my ny chain clipped into the third loop

when i got hit by a car they must've slipped it off because i woke up in an ambulance completely naked..
i guess they had cut everything else off with scissors



Right about sliding the chain off, but wrong about removing it before boarding. I bet they will do whatever they can to remove the chain from the patient. It is extremely uncomfortable to be on a backboard for the amount of time that most patients will be strapped to it. In addition, there was a recent lawsuit of a patient suing for unnecessary pain/suffering because of the amount of time they had to spend on a backboard while waiting to be seen. The paramedics were named in the suit. Imagine laying on a board for several hours with a NYC chain in your back. In addition if they didn't remove the chain, they have not been able to properly immobilize the spine. Another ground for lawsuit.

i've never had a problem in boston with a mini krypto evo through the frame and (when i can fit it) a wheel

as someone eyeing chicago, i'm curious: how common is bike theft there? i've only seen one dude weigh in on it...

From time to time, Kryptonite releases its "Top Cities" for bike theft. The list seems to be based on where their "anti-theft" claims come from.

The same sorts of cities make the "high risk" list year after year: any mega-size city where a large share of the population is attempting to survive on foodstamps (New York, Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Houston, St. Louis, Los Angeles, etc.) AND, those cities where a major share of the age 18 to age 25 population are college students (Ann Arbor, Austin, Berkeley, Madison, Boston).

So, if you live in a town with few or no college students, and few, or no poor folks, your bike seems to be safe. A town full of rich elderly folks, such as Sarasota, Florida or Sanibel Island in Florida...you might not need any lock at all.

hey it's alanbikehouston in a lock thread! who woulda thought.
hey alan, there's a bikesdirect thread over in road cycling that needs some attention....

So, if you live in a town with few or no college students, and few, or no poor folks, your bike seems to be safe. A town full of rich elderly folks, such as Sarasota, Florida or Sanibel Island in Florida...you might need need any lock at all.

Sanibel has mad tourists. I don't see why this thread even exists. Why not just go the extra mile and buy a good lock and make sure that **** isn't stolen?

and tweakers love to steal lights, so i ALWAYS remove them. . .

No joke, man. I had a blinky light stolen off my geared bike, and something tells me the thief wasn't a cyclist who was concerned for his/her post-dusk safety.

I bought a NY3000 U for my girl, and I now think it's overkill. I've never heard of an evolution being defeated, if I had it to do again I would have gotten the evo mini long shank. I have a NY chain for locking up downtown (Chicago), but I leave my rig outside from noon till late so I think that's worth the weight.

Whoever asked about Chicago, we have a million thieves but we also have a million people with cable locks so it all works out. You can browse the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry at http://www.bikechicago.info/stolen.html, you'll see a bunch of cut cables, locked to something dumb (shorty street sign, deck rail), bic pen jobs, or jacked from porch/yard type stuff, but to my knowledge there's not a single cut U lock to be found in over 100 listings. I mean, somebody might break out the angle grinder if you locked up your $4000 roadie in a dark place or whatever, but it seems like out thieves are mostly focused on easy pickings.

The only other thing I would say is don't think that your beater is safe here with a crappy lock because it's a beater. We have a lot of crackheads and such who take bikes like this because they know the police won't look at them twice if they're riding a POS.

I bought a NY3000 U for my girl, and I now think it's overkill. I've never heard of an evolution being defeated, if I had it to do again I would have gotten the evo mini long shank. I have a NY chain for locking up downtown (Chicago), but I leave my rig outside from noon till late so I think that's worth the weight.

Whoever asked about Chicago, we have a million thieves but we also have a million people with cable locks so it all works out. You can browse the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry at http://www.bikechicago.info/stolen.html, you'll see a bunch of cut cables, locked to something dumb (shorty street sign, deck rail), bic pen jobs, or jacked from porch/yard type stuff, but to my knowledge there's not a single cut U lock to be found in over 100 listings. I mean, somebody might break out the angle grinder if you locked up your $4000 roadie in a dark place or whatever, but it seems like out thieves are mostly focused on easy pickings.

The only other thing I would say is don't think that your beater is safe here with a crappy lock because it's a beater. We have a lot of crackheads and such who take bikes like this because they know the police won't look at them twice if they're riding a POS.
glad to hear it's not as crazy as nyc or anything...

edit: boston is pretty low-key... i hate the idea of having to constantly worry about my ride, even when it's properly locked...

Tucson is pretty chill. (Perhaps even more so than Madison WI, where I moved from.) I use an OnGuard mini U and krypto cable around both wheels if I'm leaving my IRO outside a bar / show or work. If it's within sight I just use the U. I'd be more worried about drunk college idiots thrashing my bike on 4th than anything. As long as you don't leave it somewhere secluded, overnight, you're fine.

I'm moving to PDX in January and I'm glad to hear it doesn't sound much worse.